The 2025 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group will take place from May 26 to 30 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, with the election of the institution’s new president as the key highlight.

The governors of the African Development Bank will elect a successor to the current Group President, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, whose second five-year term is ending.

More than 6,000 delegates, including African heads of state and government, finance ministers, central bank governors, development partners, private sector representatives, civil society leaders, academics, think tanks and opinion leaders, NGOs, and other stakeholders, are expected to take part in the event.

The Meetings will be held at the Sofitel Abidjan Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan under the theme: "Making Africa's Capital Work Better for Africa's Development."

This strategic theme focuses on identifying and harnessing Africa's diverse capital resources – human, natural, financial, and commercial – to drive the continent's structural transformation.

The aim is to promote the transition to more inclusive, green, and resilient economies, while mobilizing complementary external financing through diversified partnerships.

The Meetings will also feature discussions addressing cross-cutting factors such as digital transformation, institutional strengthening, and good governance. This holistic approach aligns with the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate Agreement, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the Bank Group's High 5s.

The Annual Meetings are the institution's most important event. This year’s edition includes the 60th Meeting of the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank and the 51st Meeting of the Board of Governors of the African Development Fund, the institution’s concessional window.

The Annual Meetings enable the Bank Group – consisting of the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund, and the Nigeria Special Fund – to take stock, together with shareholders, of progress made over the past year. They provide a unique forum for exchange by government representatives and other participants, including the media on key issues concerning Africa's development.

In addition to the statutory meetings of the governors of the Bank and the Fund, the 2025 Meetings will feature knowledge events organized by the Bank and the host country, Cote d’Ivoire.

Journalists wishing to participate in the 60th Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank are invited to send a request to media@afdb.org(link sends e-mail) with their press card and a letter from their employer. They will subsequently receive a code that will allow them to register online.

The Bank does not cover the participation costs of journalists attending its Annual Meetings.

Important information is available on the Annual Meetings website: host country health regulations, travel insurance for the duration of the stay (baggage, emergency medical expenses, medical evacuation/repatriation), Annual Meetings program, and much more.

Hotels in Abidjan offer preferential rates to participants of the Annual Meetings. Reservations can be made via the following dedicated platform:

Source: African Development Bank Group